Steering committee working meeting to discuss WCET's programs and activities and work plan for 2018. Full breakfast will be provided.

7:00 am - 9:00 am

Networking BreakfastConfluence BallroomEnjoy breakfast with new and old friends on the final day of the meeting. Full breakfast provided and included with conference registration.

9:15 am - 10:00 am

Adaptive Learning: Achieving Program Outcomes and Increasing EngagementCurtisModerator: Cali Morrison, Associate Dean, Alternative Learning, Alternative Learning, American Public University SystemSpeaker: Stacia Klasen, Director of Academic Operations, Colorado Technical UniversitySpeaker: Judy Komar, VP of Educational Technology, Colorado Technical UniversitySpeaker: Ruth Tarantine, University Dean of Nursing, Colorado Technical UniversitySpeaker: Melissa Williams, University Program Director, Colorado Technical UniversityColorado Technical University has implemented adaptive learning into many of its courses and programs. Although the College of Nursing and College of Business have both integrated adaptive learning throughout their courses and programs, each college took a slightly different approach to achieve success. All nursing program courses utilize adaptive technology and are mapped to program outcomes and the Capstone. Faculty and students have insight into student progression throughout the program as they work towards achieving program outcomes. Adaptive technology has also been successfully integrated into CTU’s College of Business. The process of integrating adaptive learning into the courses necessitated collaboration between college leadership, faculty, and operations. The panelists will share their strategies for successful adaptive implementation, discuss steps of a complex programmatic build using adaptive technology, and demonstrate adaptive program outcome analytics.

#AdaptiveLearning

9:15 am - 10:00 am

Creating a Culture of Learning Innovation (Part 1)Platte RiverSpeaker: Jeff Borden, Chief Innovation Officer, Saint Leo UniversitySpeaker: Steve Rheinschmidt, Director of Learning Innovation, Saint Leo UniversityEvery school has a few innovation “pockets” to showcase. From pioneering instructors to first-adopter technologists, innovation exists at most schools. But disparate, silos of innovation likely are not enough to solve the problems education is facing anymore. We need scalable, sustainable, intentional innovation impacting multiple streams of education context (like retention, content delivery, instruction, assessment, etc.), if we want to stay relevant and successful as teaching and learning organizations. ​At the same time, it is now widely understood that meaningful innovation, leading to meaningful adoption of new processes, tools, or strategies, requires a change to culture. How many strategies and initiatives have died on the vine throughout higher education because of the rippling effects of culture or politics? The speakers will share a researched and tested blueprint for successful implementation and operationalization of initiatives as used by Saint Leo to create a culture of Learning Innovation, at scale, across the entire organization.

In 2014, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education was awarded grant money to redesign and expand the Multistate Longitudinal Data Exchange, an initiative that allows participating states to directly share individual-level education and workforce data, from a four-state pilot to a ten-state exchange. WICHE staff believed they could get the redesigned exchange up and running in just over a year, but two years later, states and WICHE were still months away from exchanging data. Finally, in the summer of 2017, the exchange went live! In this session, WICHE staff will talk about the challenges and lessons that they (some might say, naively) did not expect to encounter. By navigating these challenges, WICHE staff have learned what key ingredients are needed to successfully upscale a pilot initiative.

#GrowingPains

9:15 am - 10:00 am

Managing Compliance from Buy-in to Systems and ToolsLawrence BSpeaker: Lisa Clark, Dean of Online Programs, University of Northwestern OhioSpeaker: Mitchell Gilbert, Compliance Specialist, Western Governors UniversitySpeaker: Angela Jackson, Online Program Manager, University of South DakotaAs laws and regulations affecting higher education institutions and students are enacted and proposed, institutions need to protect themselves and their students from burdensome regulations and ensure they are complying with current regulations. Learn from three different institutions about how they manage compliance for online programs. University of Northwestern Ohio has implemented a plan ensuring that programs offered online are meeting the same goals as those offered on-campus to be compliant with standard credit hour policies and content being designed into courses provides regular and substantive interaction between students and instructor. University of South Dakota will share how a cross-unit used its expertise to get buy-in from both faculty and senior administrators regarding issues of compliance and the vital role mid-level managers play. Western Governors University tracks legislation and regulation using tracking tools strategically. The speaker will share the decision making process on whether or not to comment on each pending change.

In this session you will hear about how the School of Engineering at University of California, Riverside is teaming up with scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop online programs, build internships, and create employment opportunities for students. In this unique session you will hear exactly how this partnership began, how NASA and UCR’s School of Engineering work together to build curriculum and instruct students, and how students receive gainful employment with NASA through this robust partnership. Prepare to walk away with concrete ideas on how your institution can think outside the box to create unique partnerships with innovative organizations that deliver on student outcomes. #NASA&UCR

Although competency-based education has been around for decades, it is only in the last ten years that we have seen a significant increase in its application. With several programs across the country beginning to reach maturity, we now have the opportunity to examine the lessons they learned through their early pilots, especially lessons that focus on improving student success. Although much of the conversation around CBE is focused on its promise of putting students first, those student voices are seldom part of our conversa that are in the workforce, are often looking for programs that will be flexible. This panel will look at the lessons learned from early CBE programs as well as unique student support systems so we can better understand how students are reacting to CBE, we will include current CBE students on the panel.

Theories like learning styles and popular edtech trends like adaptive learning contain assumptions about learning that often go unquestioned. These assumptions are based on ideologies that are grounded in particular models of learning and education which tend to value process over purpose. However, as evidenced by many educational research studies, particularly those that use technology as interventions, it is difficult to identify variables that significantly improve learning. Perhaps the underlying assumptions that underpin the dominant discourses-- that learning is something that can be manipulated, observed, or reduced to some type of generalizable formula --are problematic. What if instead learning was an interpretive and ineffable experience that transcends formal logic and scientific rationalization? How might a different conception of learning change the practices that educators, and particularly educational technologists, try to use to "improve" or "optimize" learning. This presentation will unpack and de-mythologize assumptions about learning and propose alternative approaches that value humanity over efficiency, providing specific examples of fallacies contained within popular ideas.

Join the EdSurge Higher Ed team for a hands-on workshop digging into ‘the why’ of digital learning. We’ll explore what problems you are trying to solve for your campus and how digital learning practices and products can be leveraged to increase the quality and accessibility of learning for students.

We will start with ‘double clicking’ real challenges around digital learning, by connecting you and your colleagues to share personal approaches and case studies on your campus. In small teams, you’ll identify insights, define a problem statement and design potential solutions. Going step-by-step through the design thinking process, you’ll walk away with provocative, collaboratively-drawn approaches to finding and implementing digital learning on your campus.

#WhyDigitalLearning @Higheredsurge

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Beverage BreakMezzanine Foyer

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Creating a Culture of Learning Innovation (Part 2)Platte RiverSpeaker: Jeff Borden, Chief Innovation Officer, Saint Leo UniversitySpeaker: Steve Rheinschmidt, Director of Learning Innovation, Saint Leo UniversityEvery school has a few innovation “pockets” to showcase. From pioneering instructors to first-adopter technologists, innovation exists at most schools. But disparate, silos of innovation likely are not enough to solve the problems education is facing anymore. We need scalable, sustainable, intentional innovation impacting multiple streams of education context (like retention, content delivery, instruction, assessment, etc.), if we want to stay relevant and successful as teaching and learning organizations. ​At the same time, it is now widely understood that meaningful innovation, leading to meaningful adoption of new processes, tools, or strategies, requires a change to culture. How many strategies and initiatives have died on the vine throughout higher education because of the rippling effects of culture or politics? The speakers will share a researched and tested blueprint for successful implementation and operationalization of initiatives as used by Saint Leo to create a culture of Learning Innovation, at scale, across the entire organization.

Increasingly, educational research is examining how games can influence learning through the development of skills like problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. In this session, we will look at the various elements of game based learning such as collaboration, autonomy, purpose, competition, feedback, and scaffolding, that can help engage and motivate students.

Our session will begin with an onsite Augmented Reality game implementation on Wednesday and Thursday that all attendees can play. During the presentation session on Friday, we will show you how we implemented the game at the venue and discuss its applications in a classroom.

As a group, we will also explore how game based learning can be implemented using a variety of game formats, from commercial off-the-shelf games and serious games to practitioner authored games and open educational gaming resources. Prepare for a highly interactive session where you will explore firsthand games currently being used in classrooms and make inroads into creating your own games using free web-based game design tools. You will leave our session with a resource list to add to your toolkit.

The aim of this session is to reframe the mindset about online enrollment, moving past studies comparing face-to-face and online modes of instruction to examine the extent to which taking online courses can help students achieve their goals. Drawing on a pool of 22,912 student data records from Fall 2010 to Spring 2016 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the research presented in this session focuses on the impact of taking online courses on progress toward degree and graduation rates for all students, including those who combine online and on-campus courses and Pell-eligible students. The session will also address strategies to encourage students to take online courses, focusing on 1) creating a wide array of online courses; 2) online summer session marketing campaigns and results; and 3) the role of advising.

#OnlineCourseTaking

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Streaming Video and Automated Closed Captioning- DCCCD's StoryBlakeSpeaker: Michael Coleman, Producer, LeCroy Center/ DCCCDSpeaker: Jesus Moreno, Project Manager, LeCroy Center/ DCCCDSpeaker: Emilio Ramos, District Director of Instructional Technology, LeCroy Center/ DCCCDSpeaker: Robert Rosenbalm, Project Leader, LeCroy Center, DCCCDIn this millennial age we are saturated with video but where is it stored and how do you make it accessible to everyone? Through much research, trial, and error; DCCCD has developed an easy to use streaming video interface that automates closed captioning up to 96% accuracy by leveraging the power of IBM Watson. Come learn how DCCCD is changing their strategies in video streaming for online and in the classroom and see how these technologies can easily be adapted.

#Streaming&AutoCC

10:15 am - 11:00 am

The #DLNChat -- Not your Grandmother’s TwitterLawrence BSpeaker: Lindsey Downs, Manager, Communications, WCETSpeaker: Renee Franzwa, Director of Higher Ed, EdSurgeSpeaker: Michael Sano, Higher Ed Community Manager, EdSurgeSocial networks and communities can be built, maintained, and sustained through social media. Twitter chats, structured discussions which take place on the social media platform Twitter, are highly popular examples of community building around a hot topic.EdSurge’s #DLNChats (Digital Learning Network Chat) have acted as an enabler to develop a community of higher education professionals on Twitter. Co-hosted by WCET, OLC, and Tyton Partners, these chats consistently have 100+ participants who come together once a month to discuss a trending topic in higher education.

#OnlineCourseTaking

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Want Buy-In on Digital Credentials? Start with FacultyCurtisFacilitator: Preston Davis, Director of Instructional Services, Northern Virginia Community CollegeFacilitator: Luke Dowden, Director of Distance Learning, University of Louisiana at LafayetteThe unbundling of higher education has given plenty of options for illuminating the competencies of our learners, be they students, staff, or faculty. Digital credentials, commonly referred to as digital badges, have merit. Yet, a number of issues raised in a 2012 Educause Learning Initiative “7 Things to Know” brief remain true. While digital credentials illuminate otherwise invisible talents and skills, “many details remain for badges to be broadly accepted as legitimate indicators of education, skill, or experience.” (ELI, 2012) Have you been to a panel where the panelists eventually become audience members? We aim to deliver that experience with an Unconference Panel. Panel organizers Luke Dowden and Preston Davis will share briefly their journey to understand and incorporate digital badges in their work. Then, they will flip the script and ask audience members to share their own ideas and experiences to incorporate digital credentials for faculty, staff, or students.
#CredentialBuyIn

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Unbundling the Degree: MOOCs, Bootcamps and BadgesHorace TaborFacilitator: David Clinefelter, Chief Academic Officer, The Learning HouseFor today’s student, the path to the workforce is no longer straightforward. Over the past five years, MOOCs, bootcamps and badges have emerged as increasingly disruptive forces. Competency-based models have gained acceptance among students and employers alike, and students are looking to take advantage of these lower-cost alternatives to the traditional college degree. In this presentation, David Clinefelter, author of the annual Online College Students report, will describe how the college degree rose to prominence over the course of the last century, and how alternative credentials are gaining traction in this century.The session will be a guided discussion. Participants will respond to questions about sections of the learning map in small groups based on info from their institution. These discussions will be interspersed with introductory and summary comments.

In higher ed, the use of impressive technology or data alone does not make a course "smart”; instead, it’s about focusing on the way technology enhances the practices of good teaching and learning. In this panel, learn from faculty, learning designers, and entrepreneurs who will share how they're creating a new generation of smart courses using learner-centered design, adaptivity, and predictive analytics to transform their teaching practices and improve student learning outcomes.

#SmartCourse

11:00 am - 11:15 am

11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Stump the Higher Ed ExpertConfluence BallroomModerator: Van Davis, Associate Vice President, Higher Education Policy & Research, BlackboardSpeaker: Kelvin Bentley, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Tarrant County College DistrictSpeaker: Myk Garn, Assistant Vice Chancellor for New Learning Models, University System of GeorgiaSpeaker: Stacey Güney, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Aims Community CollegeSpeaker: Tanya Joosten, Director, eLearning Research and Development, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeJudge: Russ Poulin, Director, Policy and Analysis, WCETAfter conferencing and networking over the past few days, hopefully you find yourself smarter and savvier about all things relative to tech-enhanced teaching and learning in higher ed. You may even know more than the experts or those we coerced into serving as an expert on our panel. Bring your questions and see if you can in fact, Stump the Higher Ed Expert. A panel of judges will evaluate the expert’s responses and honor will be bestowed upon the winner. This will be a highly engaging and interactive session not to be missed. Don’t miss the drawing for a free conference registration for the 2018 Annual Meeting either. Add your business card to the bowl at the registration desk. Must be in attendance during the closing session to win.